The Thomas "Tommy" Poteet Family was named Irish Family of the Year. Photo courtesy Irish American Heritage Society
The Thomas "Tommy" Poteet Family was named Irish Family of the Year. Photo courtesy Irish American Heritage Society

Irish American Heritage Society announces 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade dignitaries Feb. 1

The Irish American Heritage Society (IAHS) announced its distinguished honorees for the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade at the annual Grand Marshal Ball Feb. 1.

“This year’s Grand Marshal, Irish Lady of the Year and Irish Family of the Year have each made remarkable contributions to the Society and the local Irish-American community, embodying the spirit of heritage, service, and tradition,” according to a news release from the Irish American Heritage Society.

A dedicated member of the IAHS, Ray Brady, who has “long been a pillar of the Society,” was named Grand Marshal. He has served as a Past President, former Parade Committee Chairman and a volunteer at Arts in the Heart of Augusta.

Ray Brady will be the grand marshal for the 2025 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Photo courtesy Irish American Heritage Society

A graduate of Aquinas High School and Augusta University, Brady has built a career in financial advising while always making time for his faith, famil, and Irish heritage. His family’s legacy within the Society runs deep, with past honors including Irish Family of the Year and his oldest daughter serving as a former Society President.

“You hope someday this might happen, and you even let yourself envision it. Then you get that call and get all nostalgic. I’m just so very flattered,” said Brady.

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Philomena “Phil” Mooney is the Irish Lady of the Year.

A lifelong advocate for Irish dance and cultural preservation, Mooney has dedicated decades to keeping Irish traditions alive in Augusta. Originally from Galway, Ireland, she founded the Augusta Irish Dancers and later Antrim Academy of Irish Dance, training hundreds of students and ensuring the next generation stays connected to their roots, the release continued.

Philomena Mooney is the Irish Lady of the Year. Photo courtesy Irish American Heritage Society

Beyond dance, her work with Catholic Social Services has raised millions of dollars for the community through a local thrift store she helped establish over 30 years ago. Her influence extends throughout the IAHS, as her family was honored as Irish Family of the Year in 1991, and her mother was named Irish Lady of the Year in 2016.

“I’ve looked up to so many of the ladies in the Society. To be in the ranks of all those wonderful women is truly a blessing,” she said.

The Thomas “Tommy” Poteet Family is the 2025 Irish Family of the Year.

With ancestry tracing back to County Mayo and County Cork, Ireland, the Poteet Family has been a cornerstone of Augusta’s Irish-Catholic community for generations, according to the news release.

Family patriarch Tommy Poteet was the 32nd charter member of the IAHS and remains one of its eldest Past Presidents (1988-1989). Known for their faith, service and dedication to helping others, the Poteet family has made a profound impact, ensuring that Augusta’s Irish traditions remain strong.

The Irish American Heritage Society’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be March 17, 2025.

For more information about the Irish American Heritage Society and upcoming St. Patrick’s Day events, please visit www.iahsaugusta.com or contact admin@iahsaugusta.com.


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